Book Week – Aaarrrhhhh!

It's that time of year again when I'm reminded with only a week (give or take a few days) to go, that costumes are needed for book week.

"Okay!" I say, with slight relief that my boy has moved up schools and no longer needs one for that day so I can concentrate on one costume, "…so what would you like to be this year Tink?" to which, with a wicked smile I might add, someone who I consider my friend says …without being able to control the delight in her voice "and what are you going to go as?"

"Me? Me?, Oh yeah, ME! (I have deleted the rude word from my actual response!). I forgot I have to dress up too!"

I love my job, I do, I really do… but now I'm slightly going off it. Not only am I going to have to walk to school in my costume …stand in the playground as the only mum that is a TA amongst all the normal people, who I know are going to be wondering if I'm just a mad mum whose taken the spirit of things a little too far …participate in a performance for the children at school (which my wicked teacher had failed to mention) …and then, the worst bit, when I finish (after lunch) I'm going to have to walk home – all on my own! With no child or random children all in fancy dress, oh no, I'll be all on my lonesome looking like I've just escaped from the clutches of The Brothers Grimm! …I can hear the white van drivers cries now!!!


So leaving my giggling ex-friend behind I head off to have a few stern words with my teacher… whom, tells me that of course I have to dress up, and of course she didn't need to tell me because I knew that I would have to dress up! Hhmmm! Of course I knew, but my brain had decided to protect me from the horror and filed it in the back of my memory bank!

"If it helps" she says in a whispered voice – we like to keep it from the children till the day! "I'm going as a wolf!" So now my choices
1 little red riding hood
2 Grandma
3 the woodcutter

…I'm having a little bit of an age crisis at the moment so I'm not going to be grandma! I fancy the woodcutter – not fancy him obviously, but the idea of wearing a wig and moustache and being unrecognisable sounds good to me, but seeing as I have Tinks cape from last year… little red riding hood it is!

At this point I think it may be a good time to mention that I sent a text to my ex-friend along the lines of what's mentioned above to which she texts back 'you could go as one of the three little pigs' Did I mention she 'was' a friend?

Now to the costume. You all know I'm going to make it right? Wrong! No only kidding, of course I'm going to make it… apart from the fact that you can't buy a little red riding hood costume for a grown up without it looking as though your, ahem, how do I say this? …put it this way, it ain't suitable for school! Really though, even if I could buy the perfect costume I do like the idea of making it. Don't laugh now, especially at my strange looking hand…

…shaded (ish) part will be black (skirt and top, although I'm still deciding if the skirt should be A. pale blue as typically depicted or B. red), white top stitched to the black top, red cape, and red checked apron, bits of lace thrown in here and there for good measure, my lovely sewing basket will be emptied and re stocked with goodies for grandma and… on my feet? Who knows!

…and now, most importantly

…"Tink! What do you want to be?"

Watch this space a decision is coming soon, it's currently between, Alice in Wonderland, Goldilocks, Angelina Ballerina and Hermione Granger! Tomorrow I bet, it wont be any of those!

Thanks for looking, sorry if I went on a bit I got carried away. If you stayed till the end, well done!

Rachael